Hidden Wounds is a free and confidential support service which has been set up by Help for Heroes. It is available for veterans, the families of veterans and the families of currently serving personnel. It provides assessment and treatment for individuals from these groups experiencing difficulties with depression, anxiety, worry, anger and problem drinking.

It can be hard to talk about having feelings like these, but avoiding it can often cause individuals to withdraw from those people who are close to them, which can make the problem worse, as individuals may feel lonely and like there is no one to help and support them.

At Hidden Wounds we are able to offer individuals an initial assessment with one of our Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWP), all of whom have a thorough understanding of the Armed Forces community. The assessment lasts around 45 minutes and involves answering a series of questionnaires with the PWP and discussing any current difficulties the individual may be experiencing, before deciding together upon an appropriate plan for support. This, and treatment, can be done over the phone, through Skype or face-to-face at our recovery centres in Tidworth, Wiltshire or Catterick, North Yorkshire. The assessment helps the PWP to gather the necessary information to support the individual – whether that be through treatment with us or more specialist support from a different organisation. Our PWPs are really knowledgeable about what’s available across the country and will be able to help you figure out how to get the right support as well as facilitate any onward referral, if necessary.

As we are a self-referral service, we encourage anyone wishing to access support to please contact the Hidden Wounds team on 0808 2020 144 (free from UK landlines and mobiles) or email us on hidden.wounds@helpforheroes.org.uk for an informal chat.